Self-closing safety pin



Sept. 9, 1969 G. F. SCHMIDT, JR 3,

SELF'CLOSING SAFETY PIN Filed Nov. 13, 1967 United States PatentO US. Cl. 24--158 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safety pin having a pin structure constructed from spring wire stock and formed to provide a generally U-shaped structure, the leg portions of which are resiliently disposed with respect to one another whereby the free ends of such leg portions are resiliently biased in a direction toward one another, and a cooperable head structure mounted upon and carried by the free end of one of said leg portions, the free end of the other leg portion being pointed, the head portion havingsurface portions which define a concave recess disposed between the legs of said pin structure and facing said pointed end, whereby the resilient biasing forces on the latter are operative to urge said pointed end toward such recess, said head structure having a portion disposed to overlie said pointed end when the latter is disposed at the bottom of said recess to restrict undesired outward movement of said pointed end in the plane of said pin structure.

The invention relates to a closeable safety pin in which the pointed end is guarded by a protective head with which it may be interlocked. v

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION While thepurpose of the common type safety pin, as its name implies, is to prevent accidental injury to the user, which it does in comparison to the usual straight pin, accidental opening of the pinoften occurs with accompanying injury to the user. This possibility is increased by the fact that the pointed end of the usual safety pin is spring biased in an outward direction with respect to the structure for retaining it in closed position.

The present invention therefore has among its objects the production of a safety pin in which the pointed end, even when the latter is in a non-interlocked position, is protected by a head structure with the pointed end being resiliently biased in a closing direction rather than in an opening direction.

A further object of the invention is the production of a safety pin of the type referred to which is relatively simple in construction, easily manufactured and while providing maximum security with respect to inadvertent openin may be readily opened and closed by a one handed operation.

Other advantages of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention contemplates the production of a safety pin comprising a pin structure of generally U-shaped configuration, forming two leg portions, one of which is pointed, and the other of which carries a head structure with which the pointed end may be interlocked, the leg portions being resiliently biased in a direction toward ice one another whereby the pointed end always seeks engagement with the protective head structure. In one embodiment of the invention, the head structure may be rigidly secured to the leg portion carrying the same and operative engagement and disengagement of the pointed end effected by a lateral movement thereof relative to the head structure while in another embodiment of the invention, the head structure may be moveable with respect to the leg portion carrying the same with such movement being required to permit disengagement of the pointed end from the head structure. In each case however the leg portion carrying the pointed end must be manually sprung outwardly with respect to the other leg portion to permit use of the pin. Consequently even though the pointed end may not be fully interlocked with the head structure, it will normally be drawn toward and into engagement with the head structure and thus still provide a degree of safety even though it is in such an open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts FIG. 1 is a respective view of a safety pin embodying the invention in which the head structure is rigidly supported by the leg portion supporting the same;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section through the head structure of the pin illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of another embodiment of the invention with the head structure illustrated in section taken approximately on line 3 of FIG. 5;

- FIG. 4 is an enlarged section of the headstructure illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 perspective view of the head structure of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 with the pin in open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the embodiment of the invention therein illustrated comprises a pin structure designated generally by the numeral 1 constructed from spring wire stock and bent to provide a generally U-shaped structure having oppositely disposed leg portions 2 and 3 connected by a coiled intermediate portion 4 forming a torsion spring operative to exert forces on the ends 2 and 3 to resiliently bias such ends in a direction toward one another. The free end of the leg portion 2 is pointed as indicated at 5 while the opposite end is bent at right angles to provide an upwardly extending end portion 6, as viewed in FIG. 1.

Rigidly mounted on the free end of the leg portion 3 is a head structure, indicated generally by the numeral 7, illustrated as being of generally rectangular shape in which the free end of the leg portion 3 and thus the upwardly extending portion 6 thereof is embedded or otherwise secured thereto. The head portion 7 may be of suitable material as for exam-ple metal or plastic etc., preferably which is capable of being sterilized if desired. As particularly illustrated in FIG. 2, the upper portion of the head 7 is provided with a generally concave recess 8 which, in the embodiment illustrated is formed by two converging substantially flat surfaces 9 and 11 the intersection of which falls substantially in the plane of the leg portions 2 and 3 and is adapted to receive and normally support the pointed end of the pin when the latter is in its interlocked or closed position.

Partially overlying the recess 8 is a laterally extending portion 12, illustrated as being formed integrally with the head 7, which is adapted to overlie the pointed end 5 of the pin when the latter is in its interlocked position, as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The free lateral edge of the portion 12, disposed more or less above the pointed end 5 of the pin is curved downwardly toward the bottom of the recess 8, as indicated at 13, with its free edge 14 spaced from the adjacent surface 11 by a distance at least slightly greater than the diameter of the adjacent end portion of the leg 2 to provide free passage of the pointed end 5 therebetween.

In use, the pin is opened from its closed position illustrated in FIG. 1 by exerting pressure on the leg portion 2 in an upward and lateral direction to the left to urge the end 5 between the surface 11 and the end edge 14 of the overlying portion 12, and as soon as the pointed end 5 clears the rounded portion 13 upward pressure may be applied to the leg portion 2 to spring the same upwardly away from the head structure 7 and permit engagement of the pointed end of the pin with the article to be secured thereby.

In closing the pin, pressure is exerted on the leg portion 2 laterally to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, until the end 5 clears the rounded portion 13 following which such free end portion is moved downwardly between the surface 11 and the free end of the curved portion 13 to dispose such end portion in its original position illusrtated. It will be noted that as the leg portions 2 and 3 are resiliently biased in a direction toward one another the resulting forces tend to initially move the free end of the leg portion 2 into engagement with the top surface of the portion 12 and as soon as such leg portion is moved laterally to clear the rounded portion 13, such end will be urged in a closing direction by the biasing forces with the inclined surface 11 tending to cam the free end of the pin into its locked position. Consequently even when not in closed position, the pointed end 5 of the pin will be urged into engagement with the head 7, minimizing the possibility of accidental in ury.

The construction illustrated in FIGS. 3-6 is generally similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 but in this case the head structure is moveably supported on the pin structure.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5, the head structure 7' is provided with a cavity 15 illustrated as being of generally rectangular configuration, the one wall of which is provided with a bore 16 therein through which the free end of the leg portion 3' of the pin structure extends. Suchend terminates in a transversely extending rectangularly shaped plate-like member 17 rigidly secured to the leg portion 3'. The latter is biased inwardly by a compression spring 18, one end of which bears on the adjacent face of the plate 17 and the opposite end on the oppositely disposed face of the cavity wall containing the opening 16. It will be apparent that the construction is such that the plate 17 and configuration of the cavity 15 substantially prevent any rotational movement of the head structure 7 about the axis of the leg portion 3', at the same time permitting movement of the head 7' in a direction corresponding to the axis of the leg portion 3', in response to sufficient pressure on the head structure.

The head structure 7 is provided with a concave recess 8 corresponding to the like recess of the construction of FIGS. 1 and 2, as previously described, and is illustrated as having like converging surfaces 9 and 11 which inter sect substantially in the plane of the pin structure 1. However, in this embodiment, the overlying portion 12' extends laterally completely across the top of the head structure 7 but its free edge 19 is spaced from the adjacent vertical face of the head structure whereby the portion of the recess *8 disposed between the edge 19 and the adjacent vertical wall of the head structure 7' is completely exposed laterally across the head structure. The overlying portion 12' is cooperable with the surfaces 9 and 11 of the recess 8 to form a chamber or pocket 21 into which the pointed end 5 of the pin structure may be disposed when the pin is in closed position. The proportions of the head structure are so selected that upon movement of the head structure 7' relative to the pin structure 1, to the left as viewed in FIG. 3, such head structure will have sufficient travel relative to the pin structure to fully withdraw the pointed end 5 from the chamber 21 and thus completely expose such pointed end, following which by the application of separating forces to the leg portions 2 and 3 the pointed end may be completely disengaged from the head structure. As in the case of the preceding structure, upon release of the leg portion 2, the resilient biasing of the leg portions will result in the pointed end 5 engaging the top face 22 of the overlying portion 12, which face preferably is concave as clearly apparent from a reference to FIG. 5, whereby the engaged end 5 of the pin will tend to center itself directly above the intersection of the surfaces 9 and 11. The pointed end 5 may then be disposed in the chamber 21 by movement of the head structure 7 in opposition to the spring 18 until the pointed end clears the edge 19 of the overlying portion 12, permitting such end to drop to the bottom of the recess 8 and upon release of the head structure 7 the spring 18 will return the same to the position illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In fabricating the head structure 7', it may conveniently be made in several pieces which are subsequently united into an integral structure following assembly of the leg portion 3' and spring 18 therewith.

It will be noted that in the construction of FIGS. 3-6, the pointed end of the pin will normally be disposed, even in open position below the plane of the upper boundaries of the head structure thereby minimizing the possibility of such pointed end undesirably engaging the user. Obviously the head structure 7 of the construction, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, could be suitably proportioned and the overlying portion 12 provided with a concave upper surface similar to the surface 22 of the construction illustrated in FIGS. 3-6 to insure disposition of the pointed end of the pin below the upper extremities of the head structure 7.

Likewise, while the head structure 7 has been illustrated as being of generally rectangular shape, it may be provided with any suitable configuration consistent with the construction of the cooperable components and the functions to be performed.

I claim:

1. A safety pin comprising a pin structure constructed from spring wire stock and formed to provide a generally U-shaped structure, the leg portions of which are resiliently disposed with respect to one another whereby the free ends of such leg portions are resiliently biased in a direction toward one another, and a cooperable head structure mounted upon and carried by the free end of one of said leg portions, the free end of the other leg portion being pointed, said head structure being movably supported on said leg portion for movement relative to said pin structure in the same direction as the axis of the leg portion carrying the same, a compression spring operatively connected to said leg portion and said head structure biasing said head structure in a position to operatively retain said pointed end in engagement therewith, whereby said head structure may be moved relative to said pin structure, in opposition to said spring, to permit disengagement of said pointed end from the head structure, the latter being provided with a chamber therein, in which the free end of the leg portion carrying the same is disposed, said end having an enlarged head thereon, said spring means comprising a compression spring disposed in said chamber and encircling said free end therein, operative to urge said leg portion inwardly into said chamber, the outer surface of said head structure facing said pointed end engageable therewith being provided with a concave configuration operative to receive said pointed end when it is not in final locked position, the head portion having surface portions which define a concave recess disposed between the legs of said pin structure and facing said pointed end, whereby the resilient biasing forces on the latter are operative to urge said pointed end toward such recess, said head structure having a portion disposed to overlie said pointed end when the latter is disposed at the bottom of said recess to restrict undesired outward movement of said pointed end in the plane of said pin structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Zimmermann 24158 Morley 24156 Nygard 24158 Scheernaeker 24158 Yeglinski 24156 Jenison 24161.1 Mizer 24158 DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 

